


Serendipitous

by ParadigmFlaws



Category: Actor RPF, Australian Actor RPF, Divergent (Movies) RPF
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 12:49:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3610683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadigmFlaws/pseuds/ParadigmFlaws
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A cold winter day can foster the most unexpected of meetings, especially where coffee is involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Serendipitous

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt. Jai, Toronto, etc. I'm always open for requests over on [tumblr.](paradigmflaws.tumblr.com)

February had manifested in its characteristically miserable form: snow, bitter cold, and biting wind created a triumvirate that made the outdoors thoroughly miserable for even the hardiest of individuals. No measure of "well, I have a great coat," or "it's all about having good socks" could redeem the weather for the truly contemptible things that it had been doing.

Even though Toronto had managed to clean itself up after the latest dump of snow the sidewalks (in warmer months, bustling with foot traffic) were almost completely free of individuals. No one seemed inclined to hazard the weather anymore.

Ducking into the coffee shop set things into sharp juxtaposition. The shop was crowded, filled with other refugees from the weather. Toes and fingers tingled uncomfortably as the heat (working overtime) sunk into her bones in short order. The smell of coffee settled into her senses in the way that only coffee really could. Inhaling deeply, she smiled brightly at the barista who recognized her immediately - although as she slid off her hat, the waves of blue hair that fell down to her shoulders were impossible for anyone else to miss, if they were people-watching.

She leaned against the counter, exchanging quiet thanks with the woman who gave her a cup. Wrapping her fingers around it, she ignored the bite of discomfort as heat sank more quickly into the extremities that had gotten so chilled in the duration of her brief walk.

The span of five minutes was all it took for her to see herself made comfortable. A laptop was opened on the table. Her bag was tucked against the wall at her feet. Her drink was being sipped at with the utmost caution: it had only become drinkable in the last minute or so.

Few things would ever be quite so excruciating as a hot beverage scalding layers off of the mouth. It was something that had happened before and it would undoubtedly happen again.

Luck seemed to be on her side. (At least, by one definition of the word.) Her drink didn't burn her and it didn't land in her lap.

That second one had only just become more relevant. She only barely managed not to jump in surprise. In fact, her drink managed to make it back to the table without any mishap. (It was one of those small daily victories that she would always be satisfied to take. Her laptop didn't get spilled on. Her mouth didn't get burned. Things were going well.)

Well…

..Well.

It was figurative, wasn't it?

Still, she could only blink mutely, her mind spinning in a million and one different directions. The expectant expression that the man standing next to her wore made her heart sink. He said something, hadn't he?

Her cheeks flushed. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Mind if I sit?"

She fought to contain the desperate scramble of her brain. It felt like thirty different responses all converged to the forefront of her mind in the same second. "Go ahead," she managed to say after a moment.

The laptop screen served to act as a partition on the small table. She kept her eyes on it although the words that she had been typing blurred into non-recognition as panic whirled through her brain. What even—?

"It's cold as hell," he swore, leaning back into the chair that he had pulled out for himself. "Right," he continued, his attention on her now. "Sorry about that. Don't mean to interrupt."

She noticed that his one hand was large enough to completely dwarf the coffee that he was drinking. Blinking back to attention, her gaze ducked back to the screen. After a moment, she reached out to shut the laptop, sticking it back in the bag at her feet. With more space on the table, he had put his drink down - although stretching out and taking up space wasn't something that he was shy about.

"No worries." Her reply was stilted as she fought back bemusement. What on earth was going on?

He laughed and his smile lightened his entire expression. "I'm Jai," he began again, leaning on the edge of the table. "This might seem like an odd question but I'm a desperate man. D'you know where I can get a burger?"

For a moment she just stared. Incredulousness flittered around in her mind as the seconds ticked past. Finally, she laughed - and it was as relaxed as she had been since she came into the coffee shop. A grin changed her features entirely as warmth crept into her expression.

"I can do you one better," she informed him adroitly. "I can show you."


End file.
